Firegate
by forensicsfan
Summary: A technicality puts Sara out of a job.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them (unlike the money hungry greedy executives at CBS that aren't sharing profits from the syndication rights). As always, I'd love to have coffee with George, and after this week, I'd take both George and Jorja out to dinner just to let them know how much we appreciate them.  
  
**Author's Note:** Mel, this one's for you. I was inspired after our 'house' conversation. Nuff said.

* * *

Sara Sidle sat there in utter shock at the events that had transpired in the last few hours. Her record with the department was impeccable. Her solve rate was higher than almost anyone else's and she had proven that she was a valuable resource to CSI. The letter she had been handed by Sheriff Cavello said something else entirely. All because of a technicality, she was out of a job. She sank back into the couch and felt a tear roll down her cheek.  
  
"Sara." Nick Stokes' soft gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.  
  
Sara glanced up at him, feeling more tears sliding down her face as she noticed the concern on his. She noticed that he offered her a cup of coffee and she took it from his hand and took a sip.  
  
"I'm sure this is all just a big misunderstanding. Once you have a chance to explain the circumstances, I'm sure that he'll let you come back." Nick scoffed. "Or he's about as bright as a TV executive."  
  
Sara felt more tears sliding down her face and she set the cup of coffee down on the table beside the couch. "Nick." She had intended to launch into a tirade about how unfair the situation was, but instead she choked out a sob. Being a CSI had been the focus of her life. Being told she couldn't do her job was something she took incredibly personally. She found herself being pulled into Nick's arms.  
  
As sobs wracked her body, Nick held onto her, holding her close and trying to make soothing noises as he rested his chin on top of her head. He knew that once the whole crazy mess was sorted out that the department would have to give her job back, in the meantime though, Sara was devastated. She rarely cried in front of people, and even though the pair had been quietly seeing each other for six months and had recently bought a house together, he had only seen her cry on a handful of occasions.  
  
They sat there on the couch for quite a while, Sara's sobs slowly subsiding, and the only sound that could be heard was the soft ticking of a clock on the wall.  
  
Sara felt secure in Nick's arms, the strength they offered made her feel like she could relax and be vulnerable. She pulled out of his embrace slightly to look up into his eyes. A smile flickered across her face as she noticed the adoration in his expression. She cupped his cheek with the palm of her hand and leaned up and kissed him softly at first, then more insistently, letting out a soft little moan when she felt his tongue probing her lips.  
  
Nick had no idea what time it was and at the moment he really didn't care. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he had a meeting before shift that he couldn't miss and he needed to get some sleep, but all he could think about was Sara and how good kissing her felt.  
  
Sara pulled away from him to catch her breath, looking into his eyes. "I love you, baby."  
  
"I love you." He leaned in and captured her lips again, pulling her onto his lap, his hand splayed out across her thigh.  
  
Sara began to tug at the hem of Nick's shirt, breaking the kiss long enough to pull it over his head and fling it in no specific direction. All she wanted right now was to lose herself in Nick.  
  
Nick's fingers began to fumble with the buttons on Sara's blouse and he finally managed to get them all unfastened before sliding it down her arms.  
  
Sara whispered in his ear. "Let's take this in the other room." She reluctantly pulled herself off of his lap and held her hand out to him, grinning at him as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her, placing a searing kiss on her mouth.  
  
By the time they reached the bedroom, her bra was hanging on the doorknob to the hall closet, and one of his socks had somehow managed to snag on a light switch. They lay tangled together in the sheets, the comforter in a heap on the floor, neither one of them aware that the alarm clock had been swept off of the bedside table when the comforter had given in to gravity.  
  
"Mmnn, I love you, Nick." Sara nestled herself against him, relishing in lingering waves of bliss.  
  
"I love you." He was still trying to catch his breath and enjoying the sensation of Sara next to him. They held onto each other and shared the occasional soft sweet kiss until they both slipped into a deep exhausted sleep.  
  
Hours later, from somewhere under the comforter, an alarm was going off, but neither one of them heard it. It wasn't until Nick felt Sara stirring next to him that any sort of consciousness began to hit him. His arms tightened around her waist as he felt her planting kisses along his jaw line. They were well on their way to another round of bliss before Nick suddenly pulled away and shock registered on his face. "Crap!"  
  
Sara looked at him with a worried expression; his face was white as a sheet. "What is it?"  
  
He rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling before looking over at her. "What time is it?"  
  
She furrowed her brow. At the moment, she didn't know what time it was and didn't really care. She didn't have a job. "I don't know."  
  
Nick glanced over to where the clock was supposed to be sitting and his eyes went wide as he noticed it wasn't there. A faint beeping sound was coming from under the comforter and as he leaned over the side of the bed and began to furiously look for the alarm clock he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Oh, hell." He shut the alarm off and replaced it on the bedside table, glancing over at Sara. "I'm three and a half hours late for work."  
  
Sara's eyes went wide. "Oh, Nick."  
  
"Cavello is going to have my ass." He let out deep breath and closed his eyes.  
  
"Here, just call and let Grissom know you overslept and you're coming in." Sara handed him the cordless phone from the table on her side of the bed.  
  
He took the phone and punched in Grissom's number, concerned that his supervisor was going to chew his ass out. "Grissom. It's, Nick, I overslept and I'm on my way." Shock registered on his face and he looked over at Sara incredulously. "What?" He furrowed his brow as the line went dead and he threw the phone across the room. "Shit."  
  
"Nick, what's wrong?" Sara was seriously worried now.  
  
He looked at her with disbelief. "I just got fired."  
  
"What?!" Sara was completely mystified. "What do you mean you just got fired."  
  
He shook his head. "I was supposed to have a meeting this morning with Cavello and when I didn't show up and I wasn't out working a case with Grissom, he assumed I didn't want to work there anymore."  
  
"They can't do this." Sara was angry.  
  
"They just did, babe." Nick let out a sigh of resignation. "All we can do is see if we can get Cavello to agree to a meeting so I can explain what happened."  
  
Sara furrowed her brow and snuggled closer to Nick. "What if he won't listen?"  
  
He considered her words. "Well, I hear that they're hiring a CSI in Miami."  
  
She shook her head. "I don't like Miami."  
  
"New York?" He asked her quizzically.  
  
She shook her head again. "No, this is where we belong. I want us to stay here."  
  
He let out a sigh and trailed his fingers across her brow. "Well then, I guess we're going to have to find some way to get our jobs back."  
  
She rested her head on his chest. "I know a good lawyer."  
  
He tightened his grip and just held onto her. "Let's call Grissom after shift. It sounds like this was a knee jerk decision on Cavello's part. There's a reason why we're the number two lab in the country and without us, it just won't be the same. Surely Grissom will be able to explain that to him."  
  
"I hope so." Sara breathed quietly.  
  
The End 


End file.
